Why Pay For a Forum - Forums Help - vBulletin, IPB, phpBB, SMF skins and community

GiantCPU · 11-01-2007, 04:29 PM

There are free forums available that seem pretty good. I can't see a reason to pay for one in truth, no reason at all.

Why would a person pay a huge sum for a license when they could have a free one?

**alexis** · 11-02-2007, 11:44 AM

Sometimes you get what you pay for, and nothing is always free. It takes time to mod out a forum that is free to start with, the way you want it, and the way it will flow even. Some people prefer to get everything at once, and play with all the new toys (paid forums), so who really knows. I think its all personal preference. I don't see a reason to really pay for one either when I can run SMF just fine, but thats just me. I think everyone feels a little different on the subject.

The Scholar Admin · 11-02-2007, 04:44 PM

VBulletin is a nice system if you can afford to buy it.

Otherwise, systems like PHPBB and SMF have nearly as many features for free.

I guess it all really depends on what you are planning to use the forum for, and what the most important features are for you.

forumfreak · 11-02-2007, 10:07 PM

I think it's whatever you're looking for in a forum. Paid forums usually have better support and features but for beginners I would advise them to use the free ones so they can learn how to admin a forum and to see whether they'd like to continue with it.

Jones · 11-03-2007, 11:14 AM

What about skinning SMF? I have only ever seen dull, boring skins on SMF that were always just color variations of the original. Never was I able to self select a skin.

I can see the benefit of paying, namely because of the support that is available. I haven't run a free forum, but I cannot imagine that you would be able to get anything other than community support.

purplefdu · 11-03-2007, 02:44 PM

I can see it either way. I've never minded the free forums but the paid versions have nice things as well. Anyone who runs/owns a forum is going to have to put in time to run it, even if they have a skin that don't need to do themselves. I find skinning and helping run my forum a labor of love anyway.

**alexis** · 11-04-2007, 12:33 PM

I think it depends on many things.

Do you have the $ for a paid forum?
Do you have the team, or the time yourself to mod it all out?

And the biggie, do you even know how to mod a forum?

I can agree that people need to start with free ones before they move up. I have seen so many people get VB, pay for it, install it, and then nothing else, and then wonder why no one is there, or it doesn't work proper.

Trial and error folks, old school that way. *grin*

pink27 · 11-05-2007, 07:09 AM

Well, the paid forums are allowed greater lengths compared to the free ones. As for the design, you can go experiment and have a very attractive one as opposed to a freebie forum which can really look tedious. But the bottomline is, what's the use of a very good-looking forum if the members are not that fun? Who would hang out in there by the way?

11-01-2007, 04:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
User Profile GiantCPU Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Age: 30 Posts: 25 Total Points: 393 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	Why Pay For a Forum There are free forums available that seem pretty good. I can't see a reason to pay for one in truth, no reason at all. Why would a person pay a huge sum for a license when they could have a free one?

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11-02-2007, 11:44 AM	#2 (permalink)
User Profile alexis Super Moderator Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SC Age: 28 Posts: 99 Total Points: 3,115 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	Sometimes you get what you pay for, and nothing is always free. It takes time to mod out a forum that is free to start with, the way you want it, and the way it will flow even. Some people prefer to get everything at once, and play with all the new toys (paid forums), so who really knows. I think its all personal preference. I don't see a reason to really pay for one either when I can run SMF just fine, but thats just me. I think everyone feels a little different on the subject.

11-02-2007, 04:44 PM	#3 (permalink)
User Profile The Scholar Admin Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 65 Total Points: 1,075 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	VBulletin is a nice system if you can afford to buy it. Otherwise, systems like PHPBB and SMF have nearly as many features for free. I guess it all really depends on what you are planning to use the forum for, and what the most important features are for you.

11-02-2007, 10:07 PM	#4 (permalink)
User Profile forumfreak Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Age: 28 Posts: 25 Total Points: 677 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	I think it's whatever you're looking for in a forum. Paid forums usually have better support and features but for beginners I would advise them to use the free ones so they can learn how to admin a forum and to see whether they'd like to continue with it.

11-03-2007, 11:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
User Profile Jones Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Age: 30 Posts: 37 Total Points: 578 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	What about skinning SMF? I have only ever seen dull, boring skins on SMF that were always just color variations of the original. Never was I able to self select a skin. I can see the benefit of paying, namely because of the support that is available. I haven't run a free forum, but I cannot imagine that you would be able to get anything other than community support.

11-03-2007, 02:44 PM	#6 (permalink)
User Profile purplefdu Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 51 Total Points: 745 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	I can see it either way. I've never minded the free forums but the paid versions have nice things as well. Anyone who runs/owns a forum is going to have to put in time to run it, even if they have a skin that don't need to do themselves. I find skinning and helping run my forum a labor of love anyway.

11-04-2007, 12:33 PM	#7 (permalink)
User Profile alexis Super Moderator Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: SC Age: 28 Posts: 99 Total Points: 3,115 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	I think it depends on many things. Do you have the $ for a paid forum? Do you have the team, or the time yourself to mod it all out? And the biggie, do you even know how to mod a forum? I can agree that people need to start with free ones before they move up. I have seen so many people get VB, pay for it, install it, and then nothing else, and then wonder why no one is there, or it doesn't work proper. Trial and error folks, old school that way. grin

11-05-2007, 07:09 AM	#8 (permalink)
User Profile pink27 Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Age: 28 Posts: 20 Total Points: 388 Donate My Zoints Profile My Photos: (0)	Well, the paid forums are allowed greater lengths compared to the free ones. As for the design, you can go experiment and have a very attractive one as opposed to a freebie forum which can really look tedious. But the bottomline is, what's the use of a very good-looking forum if the members are not that fun? Who would hang out in there by the way?